EUROPE HITS INTEL WITH $1.45B ANTITRUST FINE

USA TODAYMay 14, 2009

In a landmark ruling, the European Commission on Wednesday slammed chipmaker Intel with a record $1.45 billion fine for using illegal monopolistic practices. Microsoft's dealings with European regulators suggest Intel faces a drawn-out battle. Both cases derive from Europe's belief in "ordoliberalism" — competition based on many firms competing to serve the market, says LUKE FROEB, a professor at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.